Zero-printing device for calculating machines

ABSTRACT

The specification discloses a printing-type calculating machine having movable-type carriers coupled to the value transfer racks of the machine. A feeler member in the machine feels the racks when advanced into value positions prior to the printing and operates a stop device which prevents the printing of digits leftwardly of the highest valued rack, which is advanced from the zero position thereof. The machine also comprises a device adjusted in conformity with the selection of the decimal point position for controlling the stop device so that at least all of the carriers positioned rightwardly of the decimal point position will print regardless of the position of the respective value transfer racks.

I Unlted States Patent 1151 3,637,987

Ranch Jan. 25, 1972 [S4] ZERO-PRINTING DEVICE FOR 3,241,756 3/1966 Schenk ..235/60 P L TI 3,260,449 7/1966 Gassmo... 235/6025 CA CULA NG MACHINES 3,426,676 2/1969 Zielke ..101/93 R [72] lnventor: Werner Rauch, Nurnberg, Germany 3,544,000 l2/l970 Bovio ..235/60.15

[73] Asslgnee: Dlehl, Nurnberg, Germany Primary Examiner stephenj Tomsky [22] Filed: June 3, 1970 AttorneyWalter Becker t The specification discloses a printing-type calculating [30] Foreign Apphca'lon Pflomy Dam machine having movable-type carriers coupled to the value June 4, 1969 Germany ..P 19 28 396.6 transfer racks of the machihe- A feelet member in the v machine feels the racks when advanced into value positions 52 us. c1. ..235/60.28, 101 /93 R, 235/6025, prior to the Printing and Operates Stop device which prevents 235/60 p the printing of digits leftwardly of the highest valued rack, 51 1m.c1. ..G06C 19 00, GOGC 19 04 which is advanced from the Zero Position thereof- The 581 Field 6: Search ..235/60.28, 60.25, 61 DP, 58 P, machine also comprises device adjusted in conformity with 235/60 1) 6015; 101/93 R the selection of the decimal point position for controlling the stop device so that at least all of the carriers positioned 5 References Cited rightwardly of the decimal point position will print regardless of the position of the respective value transfer racks. UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 3,051,082 8/1962 Wagemann ..10l/93 R 3,132,582 5/1964 Clary et a1. ..101/l00 PATENTED 45x25 $72 SHEH 1 BF 3 INVENTOR. Werner RA UC H PATENTFUJAI'XJISTZ 3.637387 sum 2 or 3 INVENTOR.

Werner RAUCH slay/L987" PATENIEB mes m SHEET 3 BF 3 INVENTOR Werner RAUCH ZERO-PRINTING DEVICE FOR CALCULATING MACHINES The present invention relates to a zero-printing device for calculating machines with type carriers which cooperate with value-transferring means controlled by a machine main shaft and with a control member controlling the respective highest decade to be printed.

With zero-printing devices of the above-mentioned type it is important for reasons of checking and reading precision that the printing of those zeros be prevented which ordinarily fill in the digits ahead of the first number of the number to be printed. Within a certain value, however, especially with regard to the comma places, the zero printing must be assured.

A device comparable to the device according to the present invention is provided with printing hammers having type carriers linked thereto. Each printing hammer has associated therewith a release element which is operatively connected through an angled off means to the release member on the right-hand side of the respective printing hammer adjacent thereto. This interconnection is designated as the so-called zero bridge. It prevents all type carriers left of the highest actuated value digit from becoming effective as described, for instance, in Swiss Pat. No. 392,94l. The drawbacks of this arrangement are likewise well known, namely the interdependency of the individual printing hammers, the fact that the release impulses of the follower within the zero bridge become weaker over a plurality of zeros and the questionable safety inherent thereto as well as the relatively high requirements as to precision.

According to another device described in German Pat. No. l,29l,l43, the reciprocatory movement of the racks is laterally felt by type carriers associated therewith. A control member rotatable in conformity with a movable not described element and displaceable transverse to the type carriers presses all type carriers against the printing roller in response to a rotary movement effected in its starting position. In this position, the control member is held fast against the thrust of the force of a spring engaging said control member. Only after the machine has started to run and if its capacity is not fully used, the control member is pulled to the type carrier indicating the highest value and is stopped by an extension thereof. The said extensions will in the starting position of the type carriers remain outside the control member action radius. This designhas the disadvantage that the control member is to be displaced transversely for purposes of feeling because similar to the arrangement, for instance, with transversely displaceable pin carriage, also in this instance relatively great masses have to be moved over relatively great distances. A further disadvantage consists in the lateral feeling of the type carriers by the control member during the reciprocatory movement of the racks which may bring about a jamming or at least braking effect upon the racks with the result of a misprint. With both devices, the possibility of calculating with comma is lacking.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a zero-printing device for calculating machines which will overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks.

The'above-mentioned object has been realized by a zeroprinting device according to the present invention which is characterized by feeling means of preferably synthetic material which by means of a rotary movement derived from the machine main shaft in conformity with the respective transfer means moved out in conformity with the highest value,-such as rack, gear segment, or the like, prevents the printing of all type carriers left of said transfer means, whereas by means of a stepped body arranged on the same shaft as the feeling means, the set comma digit is felt and transferred to the feeler body.

A further feature of the invention consists in that the feeler body acts preferably from below upon the value transfer means or the like.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a complete zero-printing device according to the invention and also shows some functionally pertaining machine parts.

FIG. 2 illustrates in side view a comma control device associated with the zero-printing device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the devices shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the feeler body.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the device shown therein comprises racks l of a calculating machine shown only in part. These racks l have associated therewith a common collector beam 3 which is guided in recesses 2. The teeth 4 of the racks l mesh with the teeth 5 of ,a type carrier, in the specific instance shown, designed as a type wheel 6. Only a peripheral part of the type carrier is provided with said teeth 5. The type wheel 6 has that side thereof provided with printing types 8 which faces the printing roller 7 which is rotatable for purposes of advancing the paper. When displacing a gear rack in the direction of the arrow A, the value felt by the gear rack in conformity with the value unit or the value felt in a mechanism is entered into the type wheel. The type wheel is journaled on a bolt 9 which is connected to a printing hammer 11 which is pivotable about the shaft 10 stationarily arranged in the machine. The printing hammer is engaged by a tension spring 13 which is likewise connected to a bolt 12 stationarily arranged in the machine so that, in case of need, the type wheel will be knocked against the printing roller 7. The heavy line of printing hammer and type wheel indicates the basic or rest position, whereas the dot-dash line indicates the printing position from which a collector beam 14 returns the printing hammers and type wheels to their rest position.

A feeler body 15 shown by itself in FIG. 4 cooperates with the bottomside of the racks l and printing hammers 11. The feeler body 15 is fastened to a shaft 21, for instance, by means of a screw 36. The feeler body 15 has a somewhat coneshaped longitudinal section formed by substantially circular sector-shaped discs 16 which are formed to the remaining gibody and form one piece therewith while consisting of the same material as the remaining body. Whereas the disc edges 17 which in viewing direction are located in front are flush with each other, the rear edges 18 of the discs, when viewed together, define a helical line. The slots 19 between the individual discs are offset relative to each other likewise in the manner of a helix and their bottom side serves as abutment for the moved out racks l. The feeler body 15 preferably consists primarily of acetal resin material produced and sold by Dupont under the trademark Delrin.

The feeler body 15 is rotated in clockwise direction and, more specifically, when only one gear rack has moved out, by the maximum angle, and when all gear racks have moved out, by the minimum angle, whereas with intermediate values cor responding fractions of said angles are involved.

All printing hammers left of the maximum value indicating gear rack abutting the feeler body 15 are in conformity with the steps of the discs 16 (FIGQ4) defined by the helical shape of the edges 18, prevented from falling through. This prevents the printing of the zeros of the type carriers 6 associated with said printing hammers.

For purposes of calculating with comma, in addition to the feeler body 15, a so-called step body 22, 23 is, for instance, by means of a screw 37 connected to the shaft 21. The position of the step body 22, 23 is aligned with the position of the feeler body. By means of a comma control device not shown in the drawings, the step body 22, 23 is through the intervention of a cam disc 28 and a feeler lever 24, 2S informed as to the number of digits of the possible number of digits right of the comma with which is to be calculated. The specific example shown has four possible digits. The cam disc 28 itself is keyed to a shaft 27 which may have a square cross section and is felt or scanned by arm 24 of the two-arm lever 24, 25 rotatably journaled on a shaft 26 while arm 25, as the case may be, will engage the steps 23 formed onto the step body 22, 23. The full lines indicate the starting position from which the step body will be automatically rotated with each feeling movement of the feeler body 15. However, only with values less than zero, also the lever 24, 25 is turned in clockwise direction to such an extent that a cooperation of lever and step body will be made possible at all. The dot-dash lines in FIG. 2 illustrate, for instance, the feeling of a digit on the right-hand side of the comma.

Between the feeler body and the step body 22 there is a pinion 29 keyed to the shaft 21. By means of this pinion 29, through the intervention of a two-arm lever 31, 32 which is rotatably joumaled on a shaft 30 stationarily arranged in the machine and which lever is provided with a roller 33, a cam disc 34 keyed to the machine main shaft is felt or scanned and the pivot movement of feeler and step body is controlled.

As will ,be evident from the above, the advantage of the device according to the present invention consists above all in that each hammer can fall through for printing purposes independently of the other hammers. In addition thereto, the device according to the present invention is very economical because only relatively few structural elements are required.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular construction shown in the drawings but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. in a calculating machine: type carriers having characters to be printed distributed thereon and movable to present the characters thereon individually to a printing region, a reciprocable value transfer element coupled to each carrier for movement thereof to a position corresponding to the value transferred by the respective transfer element, each transfer element having a zero position whereinthe respective carrier presents the character 0 to the said printing region and a value position wherein the respective carrier presents a corresponding character to the printing region, said transfer elements increasing in value from right to left when looking toward said printing region, actuating means for actuating said type carriers to effect the printing of the characters presented thereby to the printing region following the movement of said transfer elements from zero position thereof to the respective value positions thereof, a feeler member movable from a retracted position toward an advanced position of engagement with said transfer elements following movement of the elements into value position and prior to operation of said actuating means and having a maximum advanced position corresponding to the leftwardmost value transfer element which is moved away from the zero position thereof, first stop means movable by said feeler member from retracted position toward advanced position and operable in the advanced position corresponding to the maximum advanced position of said feeler member to prevent actuation by said actuating means of the carriers leftward of the aforesaid leftwardmost transfer element, an adjustable decimal point position selector, and second stop means operable in response to the adjustment of said decimal point position selector for halting said first stop means in such position that at least all of said carriers rightwardly of the selected decimal point position will be actuated by said actuating means.

2. A calculating machine according to claim 1, in which said feeler member and first and second stop means are movable as a unit, said second stop means having steps thereon, a pivoted lever having an end part thereof for engagement with said steps to halt said second stop means and thereby determine the operative position taken by said first stop means, and a cam engaging said lever for adjustment thereof to selected positions and under the control of said decimal point position selector. v

3. A calculating machine according to claim 1, in which said feeler member is in the form of a rotatable body comprising circular segments having first edges on one side in a common axial plane and second edges on the other side disposed in a helical path, said body being formed with slots between said segments having bottoms arranged in a helical path, said transfer elements being coplanar in a plane extending axially of said body and moving into respective ones of said slots when moved away from zero position, each transfer element having a surface presented toward the bottom of the respective s 0t and all of said surfaces being disposed In the same plane extending axially of said body, whereby said body upon rotation thereof will be prevented from rotating beyond that position which will cause the bottom of the slot corresponding to the leftwardmost transfer element which is moved away from the zero position thereof to engage the said surface of the said element, a stop element operatively connected toeach carrier and adapted to engage the periphery of a respective circular segment when said body is rotated beyond a respective angular position.

4. A calculating machine according to claim 3, in which the said surface on each transfer element faces downwardly and said body is mounted below the level of said surfaces.

5. A calculating machine according to claim 1, in which said transfer elements are in the form of longitudinally reciprocable racks laterally distributed in parallel relation in a horizontal plane and having rack teeth on the upper edge, each carrier being rotatably supported and having peripheral teeth meshing with the teeth of a respective said rack, said characters being distributed circumferentially of said carriers, said feeler member being rotatably supported beneath the level of said racks and having a slot for receiving each said rack when the respective rack is advanced from the zero position thereof, said slots having bottoms which are disposed progressively closer to the bottom edge of the respective rack in a direction from the lowest valued rack toward the highest valued rack whereby the highest valued rack which is moved out of the zero position thereof will determine a maximum rotated position of said feeler member when the latter is rotated in a direction to move the bottoms of said slots toward the bottoms of said racks, each carrier having a stop element thereon in the region of said feeler member, said first stop means comprising circular segments fonned on said feeler member and terminating at one end in a helical path, the said segments disposed on the higher valued side of the said rack which will abut the respective slot bottom of the feeler member in a rotated position of the feeler member being engageable with the respective said stop elements and thereby preventing the pertaining carrier from being actuated by said actuating means, said second stop means comprising a segment nonrotatably fixed to said feeler member and having stops spirally arranged thereon and each corresponding to a respective rotated position of said feeler member, a lever having an end part movable into the path of said stops, and means for adjusting the position of said lever in conformity with the selected decimal point position to determine a stopped position of said feeler member 

1. In a calculating machine: type carriers having characters to be printed distributed thereon and movable to present the characters thereon individually to a printing region, a reciprocable value transfer element coupled to each carrier for movement thereof to a position corresponding to the value transferred by the respective transfer element, each transfer element having a zero position wherein the respective carrier presents the character ''''0'''' to the said printing region and a value position wherein the respective carrier presents a corresponding character to the printing region, said transfer elements increasing in value from right to left when looking toward said printing region, actuating means for actuating said type carriers to effect the printing of the characters presented thereby to the printing region following thE movement of said transfer elements from zero position thereof to the respective value positions thereof, a feeler member movable from a retracted position toward an advanced position of engagement with said transfer elements following movement of the elements into value position and prior to operation of said actuating means and having a maximum advanced position corresponding to the leftwardmost value transfer element which is moved away from the zero position thereof, first stop means movable by said feeler member from retracted position toward advanced position and operable in the advanced position corresponding to the maximum advanced position of said feeler member to prevent actuation by said actuating means of the carriers leftward of the aforesaid leftwardmost transfer element, an adjustable decimal point position selector, and second stop means operable in response to the adjustment of said decimal point position selector for halting said first stop means in such position that at least all of said carriers rightwardly of the selected decimal point position will be actuated by said actuating means.
 2. A calculating machine according to claim 1, in which said feeler member and first and second stop means are movable as a unit, said second stop means having steps thereon, a pivoted lever having an end part thereof for engagement with said steps to halt said second stop means and thereby determine the operative position taken by said first stop means, and a cam engaging said lever for adjustment thereof to selected positions and under the control of said decimal point position selector.
 3. A calculating machine according to claim 1, in which said feeler member is in the form of a rotatable body comprising circular segments having first edges on one side in a common axial plane and second edges on the other side disposed in a helical path, said body being formed with slots between said segments having bottoms arranged in a helical path, said transfer elements being coplanar in a plane extending axially of said body and moving into respective ones of said slots when moved away from zero position, each transfer element having a surface presented toward the bottom of the respective slot and all of said surfaces being disposed in the same plane extending axially of said body, whereby said body upon rotation thereof will be prevented from rotating beyond that position which will cause the bottom of the slot corresponding to the leftwardmost transfer element which is moved away from the zero position thereof to engage the said surface of the said element, a stop element operatively connected to each carrier and adapted to engage the periphery of a respective circular segment when said body is rotated beyond a respective angular position.
 4. A calculating machine according to claim 3, in which the said surface on each transfer element faces downwardly and said body is mounted below the level of said surfaces.
 5. A calculating machine according to claim 1, in which said transfer elements are in the form of longitudinally reciprocable racks laterally distributed in parallel relation in a horizontal plane and having rack teeth on the upper edge, each carrier being rotatably supported and having peripheral teeth meshing with the teeth of a respective said rack, said characters being distributed circumferentially of said carriers, said feeler member being rotatably supported beneath the level of said racks and having a slot for receiving each said rack when the respective rack is advanced from the zero position thereof, said slots having bottoms which are disposed progressively closer to the bottom edge of the respective rack in a direction from the lowest valued rack toward the highest valued rack whereby the highest valued rack which is moved out of the zero position thereof will determine a maximum rotated position of said feeler member when the latter is rotated in a direction to move the bottoms of said slots toward the bottoms of said racks, each carrier having a Stop element thereon in the region of said feeler member, said first stop means comprising circular segments formed on said feeler member and terminating at one end in a helical path, the said segments disposed on the higher valued side of the said rack which will abut the respective slot bottom of the feeler member in a rotated position of the feeler member being engageable with the respective said stop elements and thereby preventing the pertaining carrier from being actuated by said actuating means, said second stop means comprising a segment nonrotatably fixed to said feeler member and having stops spirally arranged thereon and each corresponding to a respective rotated position of said feeler member, a lever having an end part movable into the path of said stops, and means for adjusting the position of said lever in conformity with the selected decimal point position to determine a stopped position of said feeler member such that at least all of said carriers positioned rightwardly of the decimal point position when looking toward said printing region will be actuated by said actuating means. 